Recent studies have shown that there is no clear proof that appendectomies prevent or reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). In fact, some studies suggest patients who undergo an appendectomy may be at increased risk for CRC!
It’s very important to note that only 1% of people with colon cancer also have their appendix removed during surgery. Therefore, most experts agree that if you are currently healthy and free of symptoms after having your appendix checked through a screening test, then removing it does not help protect against future colon cancers.
Bottom line: If you were diagnosed with CRC, your insurance might cover an appendectomy as part of your treatment. It depends on what kind of health insurance you have and how much care you receive from different doctors and hospitals.
Appendicitis is when the appendix becomes inflamed
Latest studies show that no longer simplest are maximum cases of appendicitis as a result of bacterial contamination, however additionally that pressure can also play a role in its improvement.
Stress has been linked to both acute (existing at time of diagnosis) or chronic (long-term) emotional trauma which can include things such as being hurt or disappointed very much, having a serious illness or injury affect someone you care about, or living with fear due to possible health problems.
In some people, a particular experience may be more likely to set off an inflammation response than it would for others. This could make them more susceptible to developing appendicitis if exposed to the same risk factor.
There have even been reports of patients who developed appendicitis after receiving vaccination shots!1 Therefore, although vaccines use antibodies to strengthen your immune system, there may be something about this vaccine that made this individual’s body respond in a way that resulted in symptoms similar to those seen with appendicitis.
Appendectomy is a surgery to remove the appendix
Many people are wondering if appendectomies are covered under accident insurance policies. This has become an increasingly common topic as more and more individuals have their appendices removed due to non-diagnosed symptoms.
While having your appendix checked during a general checkup may not be enough reason for it to get removed, there are some conditions that can make it suspicious. Certain pain conditions or symptoms such as stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea could indicate appendicitis and warrant an appendectomy.
However, does appendectomy fall under medical expense coverage in an accident policy? Unfortunately, no!
Most major companies do not include this procedure as a covered medical expense. Some small coverages may but these are extremely limited and only apply when you suffer from infectious diseases like salmonella or strep.
This may also rely on what sort of policy you’ve got. If you are invested in a high deductible plan, then yes, it would be covered. But, the majority are not so well off so this isn’t always the case for maximum.
Appendectomy is considered a major surgery
Recent studies have shown that appendectomies are not always covered under accident insurance policies. Some claim it is not an essential part of medical treatment, nor is it truly diagnostic in nature because you can still perform the procedure without knowing if the appendix contains disease or not.
In truth, some professionals believe it may even be dangerous for sufferers with suspected acute appendicitis to go through the operation as they might go through perforation (puncture) of the stomach or bowel at some point of the system, potentially main to greater serious fitness troubles down the street.1 2 three 4 five 6 7 eight nine 10 eleven
Given this information, many insurers deny coverage for appendectomies, leaving patients with no additional safety in case of a severe contamination.
Sources:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_features/medical_myths/2007/medicine_myth_8.html
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/164/2/104/571233/Does-the-diagnosis-of-appendicitis-require-an-appendix?redirect=true#contents
http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/diagnostic-tests/ov3518099
http://emedicine.emrpc.ro/articlenum/ArticleList.
Appendectomy is typically covered under most insurance policies
Even if your policy does not explicitly state that appendectomies are covered, they often are! Most health insurers will cover the cost of an appendicitis as part of general surgery or “organ-specific” coverage. This means your plan may pay for the whole procedure (not just the time spent in the doctor’s office) and out-of-pocket costs like medications and pathology tests related to the operation.
If you find yourself wondering whether your policy covers this type of care, our staff at Young & Rubella would be happy to help you determine what is and isn’t permissible. Call us today at 855-489-7711 to schedule an appointment.
You may need to pay out of pocket for this procedure
Even though appendectomies are considered an emergency medical situation, some insurance providers do not consider it an accident or urgent care, instead labeling it as elective surgery.
If you find yourself in this position, you can still get the same excellent quality health services that our Medical Provider Network offers. However, your expenses will likely be better than they could otherwise be.
It is important to remember that even if appendicitis is determined to be covered under your policy, you will probably have to go up level for service. This means more expensive facilities and physicians who specialize in treatments for appendicitis.
For example, general surgeons with less experience could potentially miss other underlying conditions like gallstones or bowel inflammation. More advanced doctors might perform additional tests or treatments that could cost extra money.
We also recommend staying within budget since many oral arguments (talks between doctor and patient) happen over phone calls which cannot be tracked.
Appendectomy is usually not covered by Medicaid or Medicare
If you need to have an appendectomy, your coverage may additionally or might not cover it depending on what type of policy you have. Most private health insurance policies do require a diagnosis of acute appendicitis as a condition for coverage, but some don’t.
That means even if your doctor diagnoses you with appendicitis, your insurer might still deny payment because they believe you didn’t actually suffer from that disease.
A much less invasive procedure known as laparoscopic removal of the appendix (l. A.) has emerge as the standard of care in treating patients with suspected appendicitis. Because LA does not fully remove the appendix, most insurers consider this a “cosmetic surgery” rather than an operation. As such, they will no longer pay for it.
Because these kinds of surgical procedures are so expensive, many folks who should advantage from them need to cross with out due to fee. This can result in more serious conditions like perforation and abscess formation which would potentially necessitate additional treatment.
There may be other factors that determine if it’ll be covered
In fact, some health insurance policies don’t cover appendectomies at all unless the patient goes under anesthesia to perform the surgery.
This can make getting the procedure done very expensive since most patients require general anesthesia for this type of surgery. General anesthesia is usually paid for by the doctor performing the procedure or through medical insurance.
A less invasive option to treat acute inflammation of your appendix is an outpatient (no hospital stay) laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. This is typically not as effective in treating chronic abdominal pain caused by your appendix, but it does avoid the cost of the anesthesia.
If you are experiencing constant stomach aches and pains that won’t go away even after seeing several doctors, then it’s important to rule out whether your appendix needs to come out.
Fortunately, there are some warning symptoms and signs and symptoms that mean whether or not this is the case.
If you have any questions, communicate in your coverage issuer
It is important to note that not all policies contain an endorsement for appendectomies. Even if yours does, it may still be considered cosmetic or limited to only certain types of surgeries.
Some physicians will try to add this coverage into your policy as an “extra expense” form of medical treatment. This can easily be denied since they consider it surgery.
It is also important to remember that even though most policies cover general anesthesia, this doesn’t always include the cost of the appendectomy. Some surgeons use local instead which is much cheaper!
If feasible, make sure to ask about the fees of both so that you recognize what to expect earlier than and after the system.